Garment form retainer



June 9, 1953 F. Y. SHERBONDY QARMENT FORM RETAINER Filed Oct. 19, 1950 A frog v5] Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT FORM RETAINER Franlr Y. Sherbondy, San Antonio, Tex. Application October 19, 1950, Serial No. 190,903

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in means for holding a hanging garment in a desired manner and has for its principal objectto provide an improved device for securing adjacent overlapping portions in such a manner, when the garment is hung up, as to prevent sagging and thus assist in retaining the garment in proper form.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment form retaining device for use upon a coat, to hold the overlapping front panels thereof in position, one over the other when the coat is suspended on a hanger, to prevent sagging and deformation thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a garment form retainer for the purpose stated, which is made to couple the front portions of a coat by connection with, and between," a button and its button hole, and which is of a form to be easily and quickly applied and removed, and which may be easily made, by stamping, from paper board, plastic or any other suitable material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is nottobe limited to the exact details'of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a coat showing applied thereto a garment form retainer constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the device, made to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a modification of the flap or tab.

Figure 5 illustrates the application of the retainer to a double breasted coat garment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the invention in its preferred form, or embodiment, is generally designated R and, as shown, comprises a long strip or sheet [0 of material, which may be paper board, plastic, metal or any other suitable light substance. Such a sheet may be defined as such or referred to as a card, plate or flat body.

In accordance with the invention the strip, or plate body 0, is cut, punched or otherwise formed, to produce a flap or tab 12. This flap is here shown as being elliptical, and is located at one end of the body with its long axis extending lengthwise of the body.

It may also be pointed out that while the flap I2 is here shown as cut or punched from the body l0, it could be provided as a separate element applied to the face of the body, as, for example, it is illustrated in Figure 4, where it is designated l2a. The punched out arrangement is, however, preferred as being more easily and economically produced.

Formed in and longitudinally of the plate body I0 is the long slot l4.

One end of the slot 14 is adjacent to one end of the flap or tab I2, as shown, and the slot extends very nearly to the opposite end of the body as shown.

Substantially midway of its ends, the slot I4 is enlarged as indicated at I6. This enlargement provides a button hole for the purpose about to be set forth, while the slot, in its portions at the two sides of the enlargement, or button hole, receives the thread by which a garment button is attached.

The manner of using the form retainer is illustrated in Figure 1, where the reference G, designates a garment in the form of a mans coat of single breasted design, which has the two front panels or sections l8 and 20, one section carrying buttons 22 and the other section having button holes 24.

As shown in Figure l the device couples the two sections of the garment together by engaging one button 22 and the button hole 24 therefor.

In applying the device, the button may first be inserted through the opening I6 of the card or plate body l0 and the button securing thread is then moved into the end of the slot I4 nearest to the flap or tab l2. The flap is then inserted through the adjacent button hole 24 as shown, so that the two portions l8 and 20 are held in overlapping relation as shown.

The form retainer may also be used to hold the corresponding portions of a double breasted garment as shown in Figure 5 where the garment, shown in part is designated G and the two breast portions are designated l 8a and 20a.

In applying the former to such a garment the inside button, designated 25 is slipped into the hole It and moved to the end of the plate remote from the flap l2, and the adjacent outside button is also inserted through the opening I5 and moved 3 to the other end of the slot. The flap is then passed through the button hole 2E0, for the button 22a, so that the garment portions are thus held as illustrated.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing that the device disclosed will be entirely effective to accomplish the stated desired results, and that it may be easily produced and inexpensively sold.

I claim:

1. A form retainer for a coat garment of either i single or' double breasted style, comprising a long flat body for insertion between the overlapping front portions of the garment, means for coupling the body with a button on one portion, and an elongate fiap attached to the body and positioned inwardly of an end thereof for engagement in the button hole for said button in the other portion, the first stated means comprising a long slot in the body of a Width less than the diameter of the button, the slot being enlarged at one place to facilitate passing the button through the body. 2. A form retainer for a coat garment, said retamer comprising a long flat body, the body having a long slot formed therein and longitudinally thereof, and an elongate flap attached midway of its ends to the body atone end of and in spaced relation with the slot.

3. A form retainer for a coat garment of either single or double breasted style, comprising a long flat body of stiff material such as paper board, plastic, metal and the like for insertion between the overlapping front portions of a garment, an elongate flap of stiif material secured interthe overlapping portions of the garment, an element carried by the body on one side and adjacent to one end thereof and engaged in a button hole of one portion, and means in the form of a slot in the body having engaged therein a button on the other garment portion, said fiat body functioning to hold the garment portions in overlapping relation.

FRANK Y. SHERBO-NDY.

" References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

